Labour MPs and Council Leaders Renew Call for BLMK Mayoral Strategic Authority

Labour MPs and Council Leaders from Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, and Central Bedfordshire (BLMK) are urging the government to establish a devolved mayoral authority, calling the region a strong, cohesive and functional economic area.

In a joint letter to the government, Chris Curtis (MP for Milton Keynes North), Emily Darlington (MP for Milton Keynes Central), and Cllr Peter Marland (Leader of Milton Keynes City Council), alongside other MPs and Leaders from the proposed mayoral authority, highlighted BLMK’s strengths in housing, transport, and key industries like aerospace, defence, and advanced technology. They argue that devolution is crucial to unlocking economic growth and meeting the government’s 1.5 million housing target.

The letter follows the government’s decision to exclude BLMK from the Priority Programme for devolution. Labour leaders stress that the region already collaborates effectively on health, transport, and skills development, and that devolution would accelerate progress.

With the Chancellor’s recent backing of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor, BLMK’s strategic importance has never been clearer. The letter calls for equal government support across the corridor to ensure the entire region is given the necessary tools to grow and realise the full potential of this corridor.

The letter’s signatories reaffirmed their position, stating:

“We strongly believe that the establishment of a BLMK Mayoral Strategic Authority is still urgently needed.

“We remain fully committed to working with the government to realise the potential of devolution.

“BLMK is the right economic, health, and social geography for devolution, and we urge the government to reconsider our inclusion as soon as possible.”

The Council Leaders and MPs remain committed to working with the government and local stakeholders to push for devolution, ensuring that BLMK has the powers and resources necessary to drive economic growth and improve public services for local communities.

You can read the letter in full here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ewhs3J3jY/